1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image reading system for easily obtaining a desired final image by preliminarily displaying an image read by an image reading device under various image reading conditions, and obtaining a final image after determining final reading conditions by referring to the preliminary image read under the various reading conditions. The present invention also relates to an image reading apparatus to read the images according to a reading condition, and a memory medium to store control procedures for reading the image.
2. Description of the Related Art
A film scanner is a known type of image reading apparatus for reading an image photographed by a camera and reproduced on film. The film scanner reads an image on the film negative, or reversal film, in accordance with instructions from a host computer serving as a control device, and outputs the image read from the film negative to the host computer. The host computer displays a frame image of the film on a monitor screen.
An image reading system normally comprises an image reading apparatus and a host computer. Further, it is known to configure the image reading apparatus and the host computer in a single enclosure. A conventional image reading apparatus includes a line sensor to read an image, and employs either a penetration method to provide the line sensor with light penetrated through the film document, or a reflection method to provide the line sensor with light reflected from the film document. Further, it is also well known that, in terms of the positional relationship between the line sensor and the film document, the film document may be moved with respect to the line sensor, or otherwise.
The conventional line sensor includes an image accumulation section consisting of multiple photoelectric conversion sections arranged in a row, and a transfer section to transfer electric charge accumulated in each image accumulation section. To read information, the line sensor starts scanning sequentially in a lengthwise direction from one end to the other end, and sends the information thus read externally by transferring the electrical charge accumulated in each image accumulation section to the transfer section. An image reading scan is referred to as a main scanning and the direction of the image reading scan is referred to as the main scanning direction. A two-dimensional image in an image memory area of the film is read by moving the film document and line sensor relative to each other in a secondary scanning direction crossing the main scanning direction.
With a conventional image reading system, a final output image is obtained by performing the following steps. Initially, an image read under certain conditions is displayed preliminarily on the monitor screen. Next, a user conceptualizes, in his/her own mind, a final image that he/she would like to achieve by viewing the preliminarily displayed image. After conceptualizing a final image, the user enters modified reading conditions with modified gradation characteristics and color balance. Then, the final output image is read under the modified reading conditions. At this time, the final output image, which is obtained under the above-described modified reading conditions, is simulated for the display through image processing to provide convenience for the user.
However, since the conventional image reading system, requires the user to conceptualize the final image to be achieved to set the reading conditions, the image simulated based on the set conditions often has unsatisfactory results. In that case, it is necessary to search the reading conditions for an image the user wants to ultimately achieve by repeatedly setting the reading conditions and displaying the simulated images until a satisfactory result is obtained. Therefore, the image reading process with the conventional image reading system involves very complicated reading operations if the above-described procedures must be repeated more than once.
It is an object of the present invention to eliminate the above-described problems of the conventional image reading system, and to provide an image reading system for easily obtaining a desired final image by displaying a plurality of preliminary images read under various image reading conditions to allow a direct comparison of the plurality of images.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an image reading system to output image data read under a variety of image reading conditions with a single image reading operation.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a memory medium to store control procedures for performing an image reading operation.
Objects and advantages of the present invention are attained in accordance with embodiments of the present invention with an image reading system comprising an image reading device to read an image on a document by dividing the image into a plurality of areas and to output image signals corresponding to the plurality of areas; a reading condition input device to set a first image reading condition and a second image reading condition; an image processing device to convert an image signal corresponding to a first area of the image into a first image signal based on the first image reading condition and to convert an image signal corresponding to a second area into a second image signal based on the second image reading condition; and a display device to display respective images based on the first image signal and the second image signal.
In accordance with embodiments of the present invention, the image reading device comprises a line sensor having a plurality of photoelectric conversion sections arranged in a row in a main scanning direction; a moving device to move the line sensor and the document relative to each other in a secondary scanning direction crossing the main scanning direction, wherein the image of the document is divided into a plurality of areas to be read in the main scanning direction by the plurality of photoelectric conversion sections, and in the secondary scanning direction by the moving device in a sequential manner.
In accordance with embodiments of the present invention, the first area comprises a plurality of reading areas of the main scanning direction extracted at specified intervals in the secondary scanning direction, and the second area is different from the first area, and comprises a plurality of reading areas of the main scanning direction extracted at a specified interval in the secondary scanning direction.
In accordance with embodiments of the present invention, the first area further comprises pixels arranged at a specified interval in the main scanning direction of the line sensor. In accordance with embodiments of the present invention, the specified interval in the main scanning direction of the line sensor is almost equal to the specified interval in the secondary scanning direction.
In accordance with embodiments of the present invention, the image reading device comprises an area sensor having a plurality of photoelectric conversion sections arranged in rows and columns, and the image of the document is read by dividing the document into a plurality of areas corresponding to the plurality of photoelectric conversion sections.
In accordance with embodiments of the present invention, the first area comprises rows of reading areas extracted at specified intervals of the plurality of photoelectric conversion sections arranged in the rows and columns, and the second area is different from the first area, and comprises rows of reading areas extracted at specified intervals of the plurality of photoelectric conversion sections arranged in the rows and columns.
In accordance with embodiments of the present invention, the image processing device is a gradation conversion process device to convert a gradation based on the first image reading condition or the second image reading condition.
In accordance with embodiments of the present invention, the gradation conversion process device comprises a memory to store a plurality of gamma values, and the gradation conversion process device performs a conversion process for the first image reading condition by reading a first gamma value from the memory, and performs a conversion process for the second image reading condition by reading a second gamma value from the memory.
In accordance with the embodiments of the present invention, the gradation conversion process device comprises a memory to store a plurality of contrast characteristic values, and the gradation conversion process device performs a conversion process for the first image reading condition by reading a first contrast characteristic value from the memory and performs a conversion process for the second image reading condition by reading a second contrast characteristic value from the memory.
In accordance with embodiments of the present invention, the image reading device comprises an amplifying device to amplify the image signal that has been read, and the gradation conversion control device drives the amplifying device at a first amplification level based on the first image reading condition, and drives the amplifying device at a second amplification level based on the second image reading condition.
In accordance with embodiments of the present invention, the image reading device comprises a color separation device to separate colors in the image of the document, and the image processing device performs a color balancing process, based on the first image reading condition and the second image reading condition, for the image signals output by the image reading device corresponding to the image for which colors have been separated by the color separation device.
In accordance with embodiments of the present invention, the display device comprises a display control to display images, side by side, based on the first image signal and the second image signal.
In accordance with embodiments of the present invention, the display interchangeably displays images based on the first and second image signals.
Objects and advantages of the present invention are attained in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention with an image reading system comprising an image reading device to read an image of a document by dividing the document into a plurality of areas and to output image signals corresponding to the plurality of areas; a reading condition input device to set a first image reading condition and a second image reading condition for reading the images; a control device to drive the image reading device based on the first image reading condition to output a first image signal corresponding to a first area among the plurality of areas and to drive the image reading device based on the second image reading condition to output a second image signal corresponding to a second area among the plurality of areas; and a display device to display the images based on the first and second image signals respectively.
In accordance with embodiments of the present invention, the image reading device comprises a line sensor including a plurality of photoelectric conversion sections arranged in a row in a main scanning direction; and a moving device to move the line sensor and the document relative to each other in a secondary scanning direction crossing the main scanning direction, wherein the image reading device reads the image of the document by dividing the document into a plurality of areas through the main scanning process by the plurality of photoelectric conversion sections and the secondary scanning by the moving device in a sequential manner.
In accordance with embodiments of the present invention, the first area comprises a plurality of reading areas in the main scanning direction extracted at specified intervals in the secondary scanning direction, and the second area is different from the first area and comprises a plurality of reading areas in the main scanning direction extracted at specified intervals in the secondary scanning direction.
In accordance with embodiments of the present invention, the first area further comprises pixels arranged at specified intervals in the main scanning direction of the line sensor.
In accordance with embodiments of the present invention, the specified intervals in the main scanning direction of the line sensor are almost equal to the specified intervals in the secondary scanning direction.
In accordance with embodiments of the present invention, the control device comprises a gradation conversion control device to control the conversion of gradations based on the first image reading condition or the second image reading condition.
In accordance with embodiments of the present invention, the image reading device comprises a line sensor including a plurality of photoelectric conversion sections arranged in a row in a main scanning direction; and a moving device to move the line sensor and the document relative to each other in a secondary scanning direction crossing the main scanning direction, and the gradation conversion control device drives the plurality of photoelectric conversion sections at a first image accumulation time based on the first image reading condition, and drives the plurality of photoelectric conversion sections at a second image accumulation time based on the second image reading condition.
In accordance with embodiments of the present invention, the image reading device comprises a lighting device to light the document, and the gradation conversion control device drives the lighting device at a first lighting time based on the first image reading condition, and drives the lighting device at a second lighting time based on the second image reading condition.
In accordance with embodiments of the present invention, the image reading device is an area sensor having a plurality of photoelectric conversion sections arranged in rows and columns, and the image reading device reads the image of the document by dividing the document into a plurality of areas corresponding to the plurality of photoelectric conversion sections.
In accordance with embodiments of the present invention, the first area comprises rows of reading areas extracted at specified intervals in the plurality of photoelectric conversion sections arranged in the rows and columns, and the second area is different from the first area and comprises rows of reading areas extracted at specified intervals in the plurality of photoelectric conversion sections arranged in the rows and columns.
In accordance with embodiments of the present invention, the image reading device comprises a color separation device to separate colors in the image of the document, and the control device controls color balancing based on the first image reading condition and the second image reading condition.
In accordance with embodiments of the present invention, the display device includes a display control device to display, side by side, images based on the first and second image signals.
In accordance with embodiments of the present invention, the display device includes a display control device to interchangeably display the images based on the first and second image signals.
Objects and advantages of the present invention are attained in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention with an image reading system comprising an image reading device to read an image on a document by dividing the document into a plurality of areas and to output image signals corresponding to the plurality of areas; a reading condition input device to set a first image reading condition and a second image reading condition; an image processing device to convert an image signal corresponding to a specified area into a first image signal based on the first image reading condition and to convert an image signal corresponding to the specified area into a second image signal based on the second image reading condition; and a display device to display, side by side, images based on the first image reading signal and the second image reading signal.
Objects and advantages of the present invention are achieved in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention with an image reading apparatus comprising an image reading device to read images on a document by dividing the document into a plurality of areas and to output image signals corresponding to the plurality of areas; a reading condition input device to set a first image reading condition and a second image reading condition; an image processing device to convert an image signal corresponding to a first area into a first image signal based on the first image reading condition, and to convert an image signal corresponding to a second area into a second image signal based on the second image reading condition; and an output device to output the first and second image signals to external devices.
Objects and advantages of the present invention are achieved in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention with an image reading apparatus comprising an image reading device to read an image on a document by dividing the image into a plurality of areas and to output image signals corresponding to the plurality of areas; a reading condition input device to set a first image reading condition or a second image reading condition; a control device to control the image reading device based on the first image reading condition to output a first image signal corresponding to a first area among the plurality of areas and to control the image reading device based on the second image reading condition to output a second image signal corresponding to a second area among the plurality of areas; and an output device to output images, based on the first and second image signals, to external devices.
Objects and advantages of the present invention are achieved in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention with a memory system for an image reading system comprising an image reading device to read an image on a document by dividing the image into a plurality of areas and to output image signals corresponding to the plurality of areas; a reading condition input device to set a first image reading condition and a second image reading condition; and a memory medium to store control procedures for the image reading system, including an image processing procedure to convert an image signal corresponding to a first area, among the plurality of areas, into a first image signal based on the first image reading condition and to convert an image signal corresponding to a second area into a second image signal based on the second image reading condition, and to store display procedures to display images based on the first and second image signals.
In accordance with embodiments of the present invention, the image reading device of the memory system comprises a line sensor including a plurality of photoelectric conversion sections arranged in a row in a main scanning direction; a moving device to move the line sensor and the document relative to each other in a secondary scanning direction crossing the main scanning direction, wherein the memory medium further stores a reading control procedure for reading the images on the document by dividing the document into a plurality of areas through main scanning by the plurality of photoelectric conversion sections and the secondary scanning by the moving device in a sequential manner.
In accordance with embodiments of the present invention, the image reading device of the memory system comprises an area sensor having a plurality of photoelectric conversion sections arranged in rows and columns, and the memory medium further stores the reading control procedures for reading the image on the document by dividing the image into a plurality of areas corresponding to the plurality of photoelectric conversion sections.
In accordance with embodiments of the present invention, the memory medium of the memory system further stores a gradation conversion process procedure for converting a gradation based on the first image reading condition or the second image reading condition.
In accordance with embodiments of the present invention, the image reading system of the memory system further comprises a memory to store a plurality of gamma values, and the memory medium further stores a conversion process procedure to execute a conversion process for the first image reading condition by reading a first gamma value from the memory and to execute conversion process for the second image reading condition by reading a second gamma value from the memory.
In accordance with embodiments of the present invention, the image reading system of the memory system further comprises a memory to store a plurality of contrast characteristic values, and the memory medium further stores a conversion process procedure to execute a conversion process for the first image reading condition by reading a first contrast characteristic value from the image reading system memory and to execute a conversion process for the second image reading condition by reading a second contrast characteristic value from the memory.
In accordance with embodiments of the present invention, the image reading system of the memory system further comprises an amplifying device to amplify the image signals read by the image reading device, and the memory medium further stores a gradation conversion control procedure to drive the amplifying device at a first amplifying level based on the first image reading condition, and to drive the amplifying device at a second amplifying level based on the second image reading condition.
In accordance with embodiments of the present invention, the image reading system of the memory system comprises a color separation device to separate the colors in the image on the document, and the memory medium further stores an image processing procedure to execute a color balancing process, based on the first image reading condition and the second image reading condition, for the image signals output by the image reading device corresponding to the respective images of which colors have been separated by the color separation device.
In accordance with embodiments of the present invention, the memory medium of the memory system further stores a display control procedure to display the images, side by side, based on the first and second image signals.
In accordance with embodiments of the present invention, the memory medium of the memory system further stores a display control procedure to interchangeably display the images based on the first and second image signals.
Objects and advantages of the present invention are achieved in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention with a memory system for an image reading system comprising an image reading device to read an image on the document by dividing the image into a plurality of areas and to output image signals corresponding to the plurality of areas; a reading condition input device to set a first image reading condition and a second image reading condition; and a memory medium to store control procedures for the image reading system, including an output control procedure to control the image reading device based on the first image reading condition to output a first image signal corresponding to a first area, among the plurality of areas, and to control the image reading device based on the second image reading condition to output a second image signal corresponding to a second area, among the plurality of areas, and to store display procedures to display respective images based on the first and second image signals.
In accordance with embodiments of the present invention, the image reading device of the memory system comprises a line sensor having a plurality of photoelectric conversion sections arranged in a row in the main scanning direction; and a moving device to move the line sensor and the document relative to each other in a secondary scanning direction crossing the main scanning direction, wherein the memory medium further stores a reading control procedure to read the image on the document by dividing the image into a plurality of areas through main scanning by the plurality of photoelectric conversion sections and secondary scanning by the moving device in a sequential manner.
In accordance with embodiments of the present invention, the memory medium of the memory system further stores a gradation conversion control procedure to control conversion of gradation based on the first image reading condition or the second image reading condition.
In accordance with embodiments of the present invention, the image reading device of the memory system comprises a line sensor having a plurality of photoelectric conversion sections arranged in a row in a main scanning direction; and a moving device to move the line sensor and the document relative to each other in a secondary scanning direction crossing the main scanning direction; and the memory medium further stores the gradation conversion control procedure to drive the plurality of photoelectric conversion sections at a first image accumulation time based on the first image reading condition and to drive the plurality of photoelectric conversion sections at a second image accumulation time based on the second image reading condition.
In accordance with embodiments of the present invention, the image reading device of the memory system comprises a lighting device to light the document, and the memory medium further stores the gradation conversion control procedure to drive the lighting device at a first lighting time based on the first image reading condition, and to drive the lighting device at a second lighting time based on the second image reading condition.
In accordance with embodiments of the present invention, the image reading device of the memory system comprises an area sensor having a plurality of photoelectric conversion sections arranged in rows and columns, and the memory medium further stores a reading control procedure to read the image of the document by dividing the image into a plurality of areas corresponding to the plurality of photoelectric conversion sections.
In accordance with embodiments of the present invention, an image reading device of the memory system comprises a color separation device to separate the colors in the image of the document, and the memory medium further stores a control procedure to execute color balancing control according to the first image reading condition and the second image reading condition.
In accordance with embodiments of the present invention, the memory medium of the memory system further stores a display control procedure to display images, side by side, based on the first and second image signals.
In accordance with embodiments of the present invention, the memory medium of the memory system further stores a display control procedure to interchangeably display respective images based on the first and second image signals.
Objects and advantages of the present invention are achieved in accordance with embodiments of the present invention with a memory system for an image reading system comprising an image reading device to read an image on a document by dividing the image into a plurality of areas and to output image signals corresponding to the plurality of areas; a reading condition input device to set a first image reading condition and a second image reading condition; and a memory medium to store control procedures for the image reading system including an image processing procedure to convert the image signal corresponding to a specified area, among the plurality of areas, into a first image signal based on the first image reading condition and to convert the image signal corresponding to the specified area into a second image signal based on a second image reading condition, and to store a display procedure to display the images, side by side, based on the first and second image signals.
Objects and advantages of the present invention are achieved in accordance with embodiments of the present invention with a memory system for an image reading apparatus comprising an image reading device to read an image on a document by dividing the image into a plurality of areas and to output image signals corresponding to the plurality of areas; a reading condition input device to set a first image reading condition or a second image reading condition; and a memory medium to store control procedures for the image reading apparatus, including an image processing procedure to convert an image signal corresponding to a first specified area, among the plurality of areas, into a first image signal based on the first image reading condition and to convert an image signal corresponding to a second specified area into a second image signal based on the second image reading condition, and to store an output control procedure to output the first and second image signals to external devices.
Objects and advantages of the present invention are achieved in accordance with embodiments of the present invention with a memory system for an image reading apparatus comprising an image reading device to read an image on a document by dividing the image into a plurality of areas and to output image signals corresponding to the plurality of areas; a reading condition input device to set a first image reading condition or a second image reading condition; and a memory medium to store control procedures for the image reading apparatus, including a first output procedure to control the image reading device based on the first image reading condition to output a first image signal corresponding to a first specified area, among the plurality of areas, and to control the image reading device based on the second image reading condition to output a second image signal corresponding to a second specified area, among the plurality of areas, and to store a second output procedure to output images based on the first and second image signals to external devices.
In accordance with embodiments of the present invention, the image processing device executes a conversion process to convert the image signals corresponding to the plurality of areas read by the image reading device, for respective areas, according to the set image reading conditions, and the display device displays respective images based on the converted image signals for each area.
Further, in accordance with embodiments of the present invention, the image reading device reads a plurality of areas according to the image reading conditions set under control of the control device in order to output the respective image signals, and the display device displays the respective images.
Moreover, in accordance with embodiments of the present invention, the image processing device executes a conversion process to convert the image signals corresponding to a plurality of areas read by the image reading device by applying the set image reading conditions to the same specified areas to generate a plurality of images, and the display device displays respective images.
As a result, in accordance with the present invention, users can advantageously display images with a plurality of types of appearances on the monitor screen with a single setting operation.
In accordance with embodiments of the present invention, the image reading device may comprise of a line sensor and a moving device, or may comprise an area sensor.
In accordance with embodiments of the present invention, the image processing device can execute a conversion process of the image signals by changing the gradation according to the set image reading conditions. More specifically, the conversion process can be achieved by changing gamma values, contrast characteristic values, or amplification level to different levels.
Moreover, in accordance with embodiments of the present invention, the control device can output the image signals in which gradations have been varied according to the set image reading conditions. More specifically, the control device can output the image signals in which gradations have been varied according to a plurality of levels by changing the accumulation time if the image reading device comprises a line sensor and a moving device, or by changing the lighting time of the lighting device included in the image reading device.
Furthermore, in accordance with embodiments of the present invention, the image reading device may include a color separation device to obtain image signals having a color balance which is varied according to the set image reading conditions.
In accordance with embodiments of the present invention, the display device can display the images side by side and the display device can also interchangeably display respective images.
Further, in accordance with embodiments of the present invention, the image processing device executes the conversion process for the image signals, corresponding to a plurality of areas read by the image reading device, for each different specified area according to the set image reading conditions, to generate a plurality of image signals, and the output device outputs respective image signals to the external devices.
Furthermore, in accordance with embodiments of the present invention, the image reading device reads the plurality of areas according to the set image reading conditions under control of the control device to output respective image signals, and the output device outputs the respective image signals to the external devices.
As a result, in accordance with the present invention, the external devices receive respective image signals according to a plurality of reading conditions, thereby substantially reducing the load of image processing.
In accordance with embodiments of the invention, a memory medium stores the control procedures for the image reading system.